Combination automobile-steering-post lock



3.. I. TERVIN.

COMBINATION AUTOMOBILE STEERING POST LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1920.

1,368,305. Pdtented Feb. 15 1921.

B. T. TERVIN.

comsmmon AUTOMOBILE STEERING POST LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED ]AN. 13, 1920.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED -es BERNARDTALMAGE TERVIN, or connova, A ABA A.

COMBINATION AUTOMOBILE-STEERING-POST Loox.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, BERNARD T. TERVIN, a citizen of the United States,'residing at Cordova, in the county ofWalker and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Automobile-Steering-Post Locks, of which the following is a specification."

My invention relates to improvements in automobile locks in which. a permutation locking means operates to lock or unlock the steering post of the automobile.

The objectof the invention is to provide a simple and effective means controllable by a permutation lock whereby the steering wheel of a motor vehicle'rnay be rendered inoperative so that the vehicle may not be driw i by anunauthorizedperson. I

A. further object of my im' entionis to provide an inclosing casing ofnovel' construction and arrangement for the locking mechanism, which casing is adaptedto be applied to any automobile and which is designer to be locked simultaneously with and the same means. as the locking of the steering post, to prevent access to and tamporing with the mechanism of the lock by unauthorized persons when the device is in locked position.

These and other'objects of 'theinvention i will be fully illustrated in the drawings, described in the specification and pointedout in the claims. a

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I like reference numerals indicate like parts Figure 1 1s;a SIClQ GlGVdtIODEIl view of the steering wheel lock attached to the steering post of an automobile, a partof the automobile beingshown in connection therewith and the lock being greatly enlarged for purposes of illustration.

Fig. 2 is asideelevational' view of the lock attached to the steering post, with the side of the lock casing removed for purposes of illustration, Fig. 2 being a similar view of a modified form of the device, partly broken away,

Fig. 3, a plan view of the lock attached to the steering post with the cover of the I V I vice 1s incl osed in the lock casing or houslock casing removed,

Fig. 4, a central sectional view of the lock looking in the direction of the arrows,

mounted on Specificationoflefiei'sment. Patented"Feb.-15,1921.. Application filed -.Tanuary 13, 920. iSerial 7;

Fig 6, a'perspective View of the lock casing with the cover thereof removed,looking at the casing from the upper end thereof which is adapted to be'inserted the dial plate of the permutationlocking' means formng a partof my steering post locking device. The numeral 2 indicates the steering f wheel, 3 the casing for the steering post and 4 the steering post.

Fixed to the steering post 4 is a toothed disk 5, while fixed to thesteering post casing 3 is asquaredcollar 6 havinga'n integral lug 7 arranged to liebetween spaced projections 8, 8011 the top of a bifurcated'block 9.

. The block 9 straddles the steering post and has each of its arms 10 bifurcated to accom modate the toothed disk 5 and permit the latter to rotate inthe slot formed between the upper and lower portions of the pair of arms 10. The end'of block 9 opposite that which carries the projections 8, Sis open and within the slot thus provided lies the lower end of a locking latch 11,pivotally l v pin 13 inthe ends of arms 10 oftheblock V The latch l l isthinned at its lower end, as at 12,. to enable itto seat easily'between adjacent teeth of disk 5 and lockthe disk "and the steering post against rotation. The

latch'llis' so shaped and constructed as to be heavier above thanbelow its pivot and when used in connection with anyangularly disposed'or even vertically disposed steering postwill normally assume theun ocked 7 position illustrated in Fig. 4, with its lower end free of the teeth of thedisk 5.

opening 36 for the reception of'a hook18 designed to positively retain the latch in its unlocked position. The latch is further provided, on its outer edge near its upper .The entire locking mechanism of my deing '35, the casing being so constructed as to prevent access to lts interior while the locking mechanism is 1n locked position.

' In each end wall (39, 40) of the c'asing is a slot 38in which there is a removable wallsection i t, the removal of these sections perins Near its upper end the latch 11 has an Y or below the dash of the automobile in any suitable or convenient manner. 'Where, as

illustrated in the drawings, the casing is below the instrument board, the cover 37 is of course not removable, its removal being prevented by, the instrument board. But where the casing is applied to the steering post above the instrument board, or where it is applied to a steeringpost which does notcome through the instrument board, the coveriscapable of being removed and unless locked securely, the locking mechanism within the casing might easily be tampered with and the steering post unlocked, thus rendering the device inoperative or ineffective. In the arrangement of the lock casing on the steering post which is illustrated in the drawings, the said casing is fastened to a portion of the steering post or its casing by means of bolts 58 which project through the lock casing and have their fastening means 59 secured from-the interior of the casin The locking and unlocking of the device is controlled by means of a permutation lock operated by the rotation of a dial plate 14:

. of ordinary form, provided with the usual convenient form of turning knoblo. In the drawings the dial plate is shown positioned on. the upper surface of the instrument board, the dial being put into placeby being inserted through opening from the under side of the instrument board, it being understood that the dial plate may be made to directly engage the top surface of the end wall 40 of the lock casing as in Fig. 2 this form ofconstruction being designed for use on thesteering post above the instrument board and on steering posts which donot come through the instrument board. Integrally connected to the dial plate 14 is a sleeve 16 rotatably mounted on the steering post casing 3. On the opposite end of the sl eve from the dial is an eccentric or cam fixed t0 the sleeve to rotate therewith, this eccentric or cam being positioned within the lock casing 35. The cam is provided on its lower side with a projecting hook 18 designed to be aassed through opening 86 in latch 11 and hold said latch in its unlocked position. Immediately beneath the cam 17 and' spaced from said cam and from one another by washers 19 are a plurality of tumbler disks 20, 21 and 22, each having a mouse;

slot in its periphery of sufficient width to receive the upper thinned edge 26 of the latch 11. The slots in the tumbler disks 20, 21 and 22 are shown at 23, 2e and 25,

respectively, in Fig. 4. On the lower surface of cam 17 is a pin 27 so located as to come into operative engagement with similar pin on the upper surface of disk 20, permitting the movement of cam 17 to be imparted to disk 20 and cause the two disks to move together while the pins are maintained in engagement. Pins 29, 30, 31 and 32 are attached to the opposing surfaces of disks 20, 21 and 22, similarly permitting these disks to be moved together while the pins are in engagement and to be moved separately or in pairs under varying conditions and directions of movement of the dial 1% and its connected eccentric or cam 17.

The several parts of the device which are mounted on the steering post or steering post casing, including the lock casing 85, sleeve 16, tumbler disks and washers and blocks 6 and 9 are slidable on and off of the steering post and steering post casing when the device is not in locked position. This enables the device to be made of simple construction and to be assembled and disassembled quickly.

When the lock is in position'on an automobile and it 18 desired to lock the steering wheel to prevent an unauthorized person from stealing or driving the car, the dial 1i the latch on its pivot 13 and throwing the lower end 12 of the latch into position between adjacent teeth of the toothed disk 5, thus locking the steering post to which the toothed disk is fixed. The tilting of the latch to lock the steering post against rotation also'serves to lock the cover 37 on the casing 35, through the engagement of the hook portion or detent 33 of the latch 11 in the recess 34 in the inner surface of the cover.

\Vhen the device is in locked condition and it is desired to unlock it, the dial 14 is turned to and fro in accordance with a predetermined combination until the turning of tie lial 14, sleeve 16, eccentric or cam 17 and the several tumbler disks 20, 21 and 22 the upper end of said latch, thisresulting in the unlocking of the steering ,post. In this position of the latch a slight turn of the dial vice may be changedat will by altering the relativecircumferential positions of the several pairs of tumbler pins 27, 28,29, 30, 31 and 32 on their respective disks, proper provision being made for such adjustment through the makingofaplurality of holes in each disk to removablyrbut tightly hold the pins. It is preferable, however, to make the pin fast in the disksothat it cannotbe' removed, this avoiding any possibility of having the pins become loose and fall-or be jarred outof position and being more simple from a manufacturing stand-point. It is proposedqto sell these disks separately:

and the combination'of the lock can be easily and inexpensively changedby the purchase and substitutionrof new disks with their pins in different circumferential relation. h

It will be observed that the latchll when in position locking; the steering post and the cover 37 of theghousing or casing has its upper end immediately adjacent to the inner surface of. the end wall of the-housing. 1 In this arrangement any attempt to slide or force the cover 37 while in locked condition will not put anyoonsiderable strain upon the latch or the other parts of the locking mechanism, the latch being braced at its upper end against the wall-section 44, .The inner surface of the wall-section 44 is dished as at 45to afford suiiicient clearance to the upper adjacent end of the latch 11 in its swinging movement so that the end of the latch,when it is at its extreme upper or locking position is in contact with the face ofthe wall-section 44:. I

By spacing the teeth of the toothed disk '5 so that the latch 11 fits snugly between adj acent teeth, the movement of the latch into operative position locks the steeringpost rigidly against rotation. Where it is do: siredto lock the steering post in sucha way as to permit of a small degree of rotation, which will allow the automobile to be turned sufliciently to remove it from a position in the line of traiiic, but which will be insufficient to permit the'carto be steered was to be driven in the ordinary way, the teeth of the toothed disk 5 are spaced slightly farther apart to permit a small'amount of play between the latch and the disk while the mechanism is in lockedcondition.

provided with a slot-in its periphery and with the toothed disk to lock the steering WhatI claim as new and desire to secure p by Letters Patent is p u 1. A device for locking the steering post of an automobile comprising a latch piv-o otally mounted adjacent. and substantially parallel to the steering post, a camfor moving said latch into position to lock the steering post, permutation locking means including means "for rotating said cam, a plurality of rotatable tumbler disks each means for causingsaid tumbler disks to rotate separatelyiortogether,-said latch being so constructed and positioned as .to drop by gravity into'said slots to unlock the steering post when said slots are brought into register, and means connected with said permutation locking means for holding said latch in unlocked. or inoperative posi tion, 2. In a'steering post lock, the combination of a disk fixed to the steering post, a

locking 1 latch therefor, a permutation lock comprising a plurality of slotted disks on the steeringpost and rotatable thereon independently of each other or together, a cam for movingthe' latch into operative position and adapted to engage and rotate one or more of said slotted disks, means for rotating said cam, said-latch being pivotally mounted adjacent tothe steering post and beingso positioned as to engage the firstmentioned disk to lock, the steering post against rotation when said slotted disks are .in a certain-predetermined relation to each other "and to drop by gravity away from said first mentioned diskwhen said slotted disks are in a secondpredeterminedrelation. I 3. In an automobile lock, the combination of a toothed disk fixed to the steering post of the automobile, a latch pivotallymounted above said disk and adjacent and substant ally parallel to the steering post, sald latch being movable into engagement post against rotation, and a permutation lock including a cam, adapted to engage the upper arm of said latch to move said latch into engagement with said disk, a plurality of rotatable tumbler disks each provided with a slotin its peripheryand means for causing said tumbler disks to rotate sepao locking said housing to render the inclosed I Cil locking" means inaccessible, said means comprising a permutation lockoperable from without the said housing. r

5. In an automobile-lock, atoot-hed disk fixed to the steering post of the automobile, a latch member pivotally mounted adjacent to said disk and normally held by gravity out of locking position,- permutation" lockingmeans for forcing said latch into locking engagement with said toothed disk or permitting said latch to fall away from 7 said disk by gravity, and means connected with the permutation locking means for holding said latch out ofengagement with said toothed disk while the locking means is in unlocked position.

6. In an automobile lock, the combination of a-toothed disk fixed tothe' steering post of theautomobile, a latch member pivotally mounted in substantially vertical positionwith its lower arm adj a'centto said disk and movableinto engagement therewith to lock the steering post against rotawhen said slots are brought intoregister. i

7 In a steering post lock, the combination of a casing or housing adapted to be mounted on thefsteering post, said casing or housing having an opening 1n one side t e-eases thereof, means for closing said opening, means within said casing or housing for locking the" steering post against rotation and for simultaneously locking said closing means-in closed position to render the inclosed locking means inaccessible, and a single manually operable means without the casing or housing for actuating the said locking means to accomplish both of said locking operations. 7

In a steering-post lock, the combination of a casing or housing adapted to be mounted on the steering post, said casing or housinghaving an opening in one side tliereof,-a removable closure for said opening' provided with means on its inner surface for receii' ing' a latch, means within said casing or housing for locking the steering post against rotation and for looking said closure on the casing to' render the inclosed locking means inaccessible. said locking means comprising a toothed disk hired to the steering post, a pivoted lat-h one arm of which is adjacent to said disk and the other arm of which is positioned be- BERNARD TALMAGE TERVIN. 

